Mtown10 Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Hey Terry, I'm hoping you could possibly shed some light on a problem that I am having right now. I recently bought a 98 Contour, that has 70XXX miles on it. When I bought it, there was a check engine light on for the MAF. I happen to have a 96 contour here, so I swapped them out, and it went away. The problem I am having now is that it won't start..most of the time. It'll crank over real good, and it'll fire intermittently, and it'll fire consecutively, but not enough to get itself going. However, sometimes, it will fire enough to rumble to a start, but rarely. Fuel pressure after priming the system twice was around 37 I believe, and when it does run, it idles a little slow, and from a stop it kind of stumbles its way up to speed. When it does run, I have a very consistent and constant spark on the 1&2 cylinders, but a constant and less consistent spark on the 3&4. I swapped coil packs between my two cars, and that had no effect on spark. I have replaced the cam position sensor(because they are relatively cheap) and that really didn't have any effect. I was going to look into the crank position sensor next, and then timing. The previous owner mentioned that he had the timing belt replaced by a coworker's friend, but it seemed to run fine afterwards, could it have jumped a cog? Just looking for any advice or thoughts on this one, its got me stumped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Haines Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I'd start by re checking cam belt timing as that seems to be the last major job that was done and 'could' be the issue.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondeoman Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Prior to rechecking cam belt timing, verify that the #3 & #4 plug wires are A-OK. Broken crankshaft position sensor can also result in this symptom as well. I point this out, as I have been there and besides, these are easier to verify than cam belt timing (for most). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtown10 Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 Alright, thanks fellas. The plug wires seem to be alright, and the cam position sensor has been replaced already. But when I get around to checking timing I'll be sure to let you guys know what happens. Thanks again guys, I really appreciate your input and expertise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondeoman Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Crankshaft sensor is suspect - verify integrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtown10 Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Hey mondeoman, is there an easier way to verify that the crank sensor is working besides taking the exhaust manifold off? Being a 98 2.0L, its right up front in the stupidest spot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondeoman Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 No need to remove the exhaust manifold. Use a 1/4" drive setup, with two extension bars and a u-joint/link between these two. It can be reached. A good light and mirror will also help in locating this CPS, otherwise it is all by "touch". I have done this twice - not the easiest task, but can be done. My Scan Tool (my '95 OBDI unlike your '98 which is OBDII) did NOT indicate a bad sensor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane S. Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I am having trouble with my crank sensor on my 2.0 & I cant get that bolt out! I cant see it so I cant tell what type of bolt it is. Is it torx or hex & does anyone know the size? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane S. Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondeoman Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Shane - it is a 10mm hex head bolt. Use inspection mirror and flashlight for the eyeballs. Once you locate it, use 1/4 rachet, two extentions and a U-Joint in between them. I came in from below, splash panel removed just after of front bumper. This is a tedious task, but can be done w/o the exhaust manifold removal. Mine had broke in half, but died a slow death - let it sit for 10+ minutes and it would start. Eventually (over 3 month period) CPS went solid failure mode. Now my OBDI scanner showed missing CPS pulse - made life easier determining what to check/replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane S. Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Thanks Mondeoman! Always a big help! Mine is failing intermittently also, every so often it wont start but after sitting a bit it will fire up & run fine for weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Haines Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Sounds like a possible wire harness/plug/connection issue.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondeoman Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Thanks Mondeoman! Always a big help! Mine is failing intermittently also, every so often it wont start but after sitting a bit it will fire up & run fine for weeks. Exactly how my CPS failed, over a period of 3 months. Housing cracked - I extracted it in two pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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